SEA-WEEDS, SHELLS, ETC., FOR "FITTING TIP." 245 



if every tiling is thoroiiglily dried, and only oil colours are nsed, 

 no danger from this cause need be appreliended. 



Sea-weeds, Shells, etc. — Sea-weeds, wMcIl are constantly 

 used in fitting up cases of sea birds, need no description as to 

 their collection, further than to say that all sea-weeds, whether 

 sea-weeds proper, corallines, and zoophytes, must be well washed 

 in spring water, many times changed, to thoroughly remove the 

 salt, and must be well dried before being introduced into cases 

 or shades. Those who require full descriptions of British 

 sea-weeds, their collection and preservation, I must refer to 

 " British Marine Algse," by W. H. Grattan, published at the 

 office of The Bazaar, 170, Strand, London. Few sea-weeds proper 

 are applicable to the purpose of the taxidermist, though some 

 of the oar-weeds can be used, and many of the red sea-weeds 

 {Bhodo sperms) can be floated out in water and carelessly 

 arranged on paper, if wa.nted for fitting-up purposes, or more 

 carefully arranged if for a collection. After washing, these 

 small plants adhere by their natural mucilage to the paper on 

 which they may be floated out. Of all the sea-weeds proper the 

 Carrageen mosses (Chondrus crisjpus and mamillosus) are the 

 most eligible, and if dried and arranged in cases are very elegant. 

 The common coralline {Corallina officinalis) — a sea-weed which so 

 rapidly attracts carbonate of lime as to be almost of a stony or 

 coral-like texture — is another invaluable plant for fitting up. 

 "When wet it is usually purple or pink, but on exposure to the 

 sun becomes white. Amongst the zoophytes which, though 

 looking like the sea- weeds, are not of vegetable origin, there are 

 many which are most useful, not to say indispensable to the 

 taxidermist. Leaving out the foreign corals, sea-fans, sponges, 

 &c., we shall certainly find the most useful English species to 

 be first: the broad leaved horn-wrack {Flustra foliacia), that 

 mass of thin hand-like leaves, of the colour of brown paper, 

 which is cast up on some shores, often in great quantities. 

 Other useful sorts are those like little trees, such as the common 

 sea fir {Sertularia abietina and operculata) ; these last are found 

 especially attached to stones, shells and sea-weeds. The 

 lobster's horn coralline {Antennularia antennina) and the 

 various sponges are also most useful things, the branched 

 sponge {Salichondria oculata) and others being amongst the best 



